Any Double Auto owners out there?

Discussion in 'Browning Double Auto' started by Dallas_CMT, Dec 23, 2013.

  1. Dallas_CMT

    Dallas_CMT .270 WIN

    Sorry, but I see no "old & not so popular" Browning shotguns group, so I'm putting this in the Gold section.

    If you have a Double Auto, tell us what you have. Mine is a TwentyWeight. It was inherited many years ago, a 1959 model. I was lucky enough to have it come in a leather case with two barrels.[​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Last edited: Jan 14, 2018
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  2. Dallas_CMT

    Dallas_CMT .270 WIN

    Oops, I think I have the barrels in there backwards. Oh well, they fit. :)
  3. randy.cox.353

    randy.cox.353 Copper BB

    I have a grey Twelvette with 2 barrels. I believe it is in the '55-57 range. Modified on the 27" and cylinder on the 21" barrel. I'm wondering if the 21" was longer and cut down.


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  4. Bruce Walker

    Bruce Walker Copper BB

    I have a 1965 DA “Twelvette” that I inherited from my dad.

    Attached Files:

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  5. Rudolph31

    Rudolph31 .30-06

    I bought this one a few years ago on Gunbroker. Unfortunately, I can’t shoot it worth a damn, I think because it’s so light forward. Sure looks good in my display case, though.

    [​IMG]
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  6. I recently got a 1960 edition DA Twentyweight in chocolate (autumn?) brown to go along with my vintage 12 ga. Auto-5. But I gotta say that I absolutely love that DA. I just shoot trap and a little skeet (I don't hunt) and what stood out to me is the unexpectedly soft recoil considering its light weight. Next is to save some dinero to get a standard DA.

    What's funny is when I go to the range many folks there have never even heard of Double Automatics, let alone seen one. A lot of them are in their own world with fancy O/Us. One guy brought a Kolar with him and when he got done showing it around he mentioned that they made more than just toilets. We all had a good laff with that one.




    Sent from my Commodore 64 running Windoze 95
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  7. Auzzie

    Auzzie 20g

    Hi Crossfire good to see somebody else on here that likes the DA, I like my A5 and my Superposeds but I have a soft spot for the quirky DA as well. Very underrated and extremely well made and finished firearm. Way ahead of its time and certainly the pinnacle of the Browning design at the time

    You will definitely like the older steel receiver version. For me the bit extra weight balances nicely in between your hands and really smoothes out your moves on the trap and skeet field. I also get lots of looks and questions when I drag mine off to a sporting clays shoot.
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  8. The DA has become my favorite. So much so yesterday I got a Twelvette in velvet grey to go with my Twentyweight. Now I'm on the lookout for a standard DA. And you're right about the range. Many of those that show up have never even heard of the Double Auto let alone seen one. One guy asked if my DA was a left-handed version thinking the hole on the left side was the ejection port. That's when I showed him how it worked.



    Sent from my Commodore 64 running Windoze 95
  9. Auzzie

    Auzzie 20g

    Hi Crossfire. If you like shooting clays with your DA you should keep lookout for a " horseshoe" target rib barrel which are pretty collectable and peculiar neat only to the DA or the elusive vent rib barrel which is even more rare as it was the least produced barrel variant for them. The extra weight and length makes them less whip out front and you get a good sighting plane as a bonus.
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  10. Phunny you should mention it. Yesterday I was able to find a velvet grey Twelvette with a vent rib barrel. But at the risk of sounding ignorant what is a "horseshoe" target rib barrel? Never heard of that one.



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  11. Auzzie

    Auzzie 20g

    Hi Crossfire,
    The "horseshoe" as I like to call them is a solid sided rib runs full barrel length like your vent rib elevated about 1/4 " like an old A5 solid rib but the top sighting plane surface has a distinct "U" shape to it with higher sides and full length lines at the bottom leading to the brad.
    It was a specific target barrel to and for DA to add weight and technical thinking of day was to guide the eye for relaxed target tracking and alignment. The advertising info also claimed the added weight helped smooth your swing.
    Pretty forward thinking at the day.
    You have a look at the Arts video link pinned here.
    Brad gives a run down that's pretty informative.
    Those barrels are also highly prized if your into collecting DA.
    When I get chance will post some images.
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  12. Auzzie

    Auzzie 20g

    Crossfire if you check out YouTube there is some useful stuff on there you find interesting especially how to strip and clean.
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  13. Thanx for your reply. I have seen a few of Art's vids, in fact I got my Twentyweight from his shop. I'm not into collecting DAs, I just think it's a really neat platform so I thought I would get one or two. I shoot mainly 1 oz. loads thru my Twentyweight and it runs like a champ and I'm really pleased with it. You mentioned a video but I didn't see a link to it.



    Sent from my Commodore 64 running Windoze 95
  14. Auzzie

    Auzzie 20g

    The Arts vid is actually pinned at very top of the DA section titles Not the thread.
    I am not a collector either but stumble on a super rare one not knowing much so that's where all the learning and tons of research came from. Been inside a few and they are truly the Rolex of the Browning' autos when it comes to fit and tolerances.
    You look at a Browning 2000 you see its origins from the DA.
    Your right they are a great platform. Mine is a steel receiver blued but the retro 60's Alloy coloured ones would have looked like something from the "Jetsons"
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  15. Several months ago I subscribed to Art's channel. I have seen the Brad video and the Utah trip b4 but that last one of the three I hadn't seen. Very interesting about the DAs. I should receive the Twelvette sometime next week. I got it online for quite a bit less than it would usually go for probably bcuz it has a vented Poly-Choke and the gun wasn't selling for the longest time.

    I don't have a problem with those chokes but many are turned off by them just for their looks. To each his own I guess. I have a 12 ga. Remmy Sportsman 48 with a vented Poly-Choke and I like its versatility. I'll post a pic or two when the gun comes in. BTW, I got a chuckle when you mentioned the Jetsons, my text notification is the Jetson's doorbell.




    Sent from my Commodore 64 running Windoze 95
  16. Auzzie

    Auzzie 20g

    Look forward to when you post a few images.
    Sounds like you got good deal. I don't have a problem with a Poly or Cutts on them either. Plenty hate them and carry on but I reckon they give the gun some period character and getting some weight out up front really helps a DA on clays in my opinion. You see few old images of people shooting skeet with DA they always have a Cutts or poly out front.
    How does your Rem 48 go with a Poly ? They are a neat underated gun too. I shoot an 1100 as my normal clays piece so closet Rem fan too.

    Oh yeah the Jetsons! Showing my age. I have more in common with my avitar and Fred Flintstone!!!!!
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  17. For some unknown reason I seem to like vintage 12 ga. shotguns. Right now I have an Auto-5 from 1953, a 1925 edition Remmy Model 11, a DA Twentyweight (1960) and a first-year edition Sportsman 48 which I got for almost nothing. (I'm guessing bcuz of the choke.) The Twelvette is coming sometime next week. And bcuz I rotate them around when going to the range, I'm not proficient with any one gun in particular; they're just fun to shoot. As far as the vented Poly-Choke on the Sportsman 48 goes, there are 6 settings ranging from SLUG to X-FULL so I can suck at both trap AND skeet on the same day. Imagine that! And you're so right about the period character aspect. I'll post up some pics when the newest family member arrives.




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  18. Auzzie

    Auzzie 20g

    Nothing wrong with anything in your stable. Sound like you use them all and have fun which is the important thing.
    I would love to have all of yours to play with and shoot. Gun Laws for autos are super strict in the Land Down Under so I am restricted and lucky to have a 1938 A5 , Early first year DA ,and my serious clay stick is a Rem1100 Comp
    Synthetic all in 12g.
    You will eventually find a favourite that breaks them all or feels that bit better.
    The fun really begins when your proficiency improves and trot out your 50 or 70 year old boom stick and hit home runs against the kreighoff and Kolar community at the club. You don't need a 20k gun to bust clays well
  19. Yeah, I just shoot for fun. The closest trap/skeet range to me is 60 miles (96 km?) away. I have a motorcycle so I break down two and put 'em a large pack along with some ammo and other stuff and take off. 90 minutes later I show up with some strange looks. (I guess I'm the only one that brings a bike to the range.) I normally shoot two or three rounds each of trap and skeet, then pack them up again and go home. It's a weekly routine for me and tomorrow is my day to go. Can't wait for the Twelvette to arrive so I can take that out for a spin.

    As far as gun laws are concerned, I grew up and spent most of my life in California (I sometimes call it Commiefornia). Years ago it was a good place to grow up as a kid and live but over time it became a cesspool with all the traffic, illegals, and especially the liberal politics. Especially the politics. None of my shotguns would be allowed to be shipped to Commiefornia if you bought one online. I moved away from there about a dozen years ago (without looking back) and now live in a free state. If I go to a gun shop now all I have to do after I fill out a form is show my driver's license, concealed carry permit, pay for the thing and walk out the door with it. Easy-peasy, slick as butter.

    A few of the guys at the range have the expensive ones like you mentioned but they really don't care about that, they just like to shoot, same as me. They show their guns around and also like to ask questions about the "antiques" that I bring. The DA is a major conversation piece just bcuz of the way it works and looks. One guy asked if the barrel could be removed without a magazine cap. Another thought it was a left-handed version when he first saw the loading port. Weird, huh? I'll be sure to post some pics and give a range report on the Twelvette. Take care.




    Sent from my Commodore 64 running Windoze 95
  20. Auzzie

    Auzzie 20g

    Hi Crossfire,
    Neat story you tell. That’s funny about the bike. Can’t say seen anybody arrive at a shotgun club on a motorcycle before.
    It’s good you have decided to visit the sites here and stick around a bit. The regulars on the Auto 5 page which is by far the most popular are very knowledgeable and sharing . There is a lot of information and resources on this site way more than people realise without any Crowds ,Ego, Bad Blood or BS like other sites.
    I joke with the new Administrator sometimes about it being a ghost town “deadwood” and he has done a lot to try revamp and organise things recently including setting up few more specific areas and pinning lots of important hard to find info under headings in each area.
    Make sure you visit the Auto 5 area since you own one. There is lots to learn about them there. I will send you a PM later so keep eye on your inbox when you sign in.
    Make sure you post images here of your new DA when you get it.
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